Cynthia smiled at the bewildered Helene.
“Sister. Given this unfortunate incident, I don’t think I can look after them anymore, even if the Dowager Duchess asked me to.”
“Yes, after they’ve caused this much trouble, I can’t help them anymore. They harmed you and tarnished the Dowager Duchess’s reputation.”
Helene tried to cut ties and pretend she didn’t know anything, but Cynthia wouldn’t let her.
“The Dowager Duchess’s letter said you were responsible for them, right?”
Cynthia had found a brilliant hint in the Dowager Duchess’s letter that Lady Eleanor had.
[The Dukdom has no obligation to help the Vicente family, but at the discretion of the Duchess, who wishes to help you in every way, you may ask for assistance.
However, the choice will be made by Brigadier General Vicente and his wife, Princess Cynthia.]
There was a reason why she was the most respected elder in the powerful Duke’s family.
Her influence was great, so she had to be careful in everything she said and did.
With a single letter, the Dowager Duchess gave Cynthia the power to choose, drew a line with the Dukedom, and made Helene responsible if anything went wrong.
Helene had tried to use the Dowager Duchess’s influence, but she was the one who got caught instead.
As beads of sweat formed on Helene’s forehead, Cynthia added leisurely.
“You have to take full responsibility for this, right? Even for what will happen in three days.”
How amusing.
Helene scoffed, trying to appear calm.
She might have gotten away with it this time, but she was still a murderer.
Helene, who ignored the desperately clinging Lady Eleanor, hurriedly left. Claiming she had an important appointment.
‘I’m the one who can get away with anything, no matter what happens.’
Just as she had covered up the forged note incident by using her power, the organization would never dare to send a bill to her, a VIP.
‘More than anything, I didn’t want him to run into the Vicente family.’
Cynthia sighed as she stared at Masera, who had no expression on his face.
“I’m sorry, I truly regret it! Can’t you give us another chance? We’ll be good parents! You were so happy when you had a family when you were little!”
Lady Eleanor continued to spew disgusting lies as she was dragged away by the soldiers.
“I don’t know why he’s still like this over something that happened so long ago. All I did was scold him for his terrible table manners, like a commoner.”
On the other hand, Count Vicente, who didn’t lie but had no sense of guilt, clicked his tongue.
After the parasitic family was removed from sight, Cynthia looked at the blood dripping from Masera’s clenched fist. The handkerchief he was holding was completely soaked.
“Not everyone becomes a monster because they are hurt.”
How hard had he tried not to become one?
Cynthia, recalling Butler Milchenko’s words, didn’t know what to say.
“…I’m sorry.”
In the end, Masera left with a calm apology.
“Lady Cynthia, are you alright?”
Dahlia, worried about Cynthia’s pale face, examined the area where the glass shards had touched her. Fortunately, it was just a scratch.
Captain Carlton, after checking Cynthia’s condition, grabbed a first aid kit and followed Masera.
Masera, dragged to the infirmary by Captain Carlton, was staring out the window.
“Doesn’t it hurt? I didn’t use anesthesia, you’re a tough kid.”
Captain Carlton joked as he stitched up the torn wound, but Masera’s face remained expressionless.
‘So she found out after all.’
Judging by the fact that she had taken measures to imprison the Vicente family, it seemed that Cynthia knew to some extent what they had done.
He didn’t usually care about what others thought, but he didn’t want her to find out about his past when he was helpless.
But the past, which he thought he had completely cut off, was grabbing at his ankles again, and this time it had reached Cynthia.
“…”
Could he escape the past by simply killing them?
He should have just killed them back then.
He had kept them alive to show them a living hell, but had he been too lenient?
‘No, actually, I was just trying to imitate humans.’
While priding himself on being different from them.
“See, we’re all broken people.”
Suddenly, the words of the leader of the People’s Liberation Front, who had tried to kill Cynthia in the past, came to mind.
Those who were hurt as children had become monsters who ruined others.
Perhaps Cynthia would not treat him the same as before. Whether that attitude was pity or prejudice, he didn’t want it to change.
Because it meant she was afraid of when he would suddenly change.
Masera consciously avoided Cynthia.
She, who used to follow him around and bother him, was also quiet.
He didn’t know if it was her consideration or discomfort.
Masera went down to the infirmary to have his wound disinfected.
Captain Carlton, who was applying a new bandage after the disinfection, said.
“It will leave a scar, but it won’t hinder your movement. It means your hand will still function.”
“…”
Captain Carlton offered a strawberry candy as a compliment.
“Think of it as a scar of an adult who tried to protect someone precious.”
Watching his friend leave the infirmary, Masera put the candy in his mouth.
Suddenly, he heard a noisy sound from the open window.
“Big sis, it was so much fun. I wish you could have come with me.”
“Did you have a good time at the expo?”
Eugene, holding a toy warship in his hand, was running towards Cynthia. It seemed he had been sent on a trip somewhere else for a while because of the Vicente couple.
Since the infirmary was on the first floor, he could hear the conversation between the two clearly.
“When is uncle coming? Doesn’t big sis miss uncle? They say if you don’t see the person you love for even a day, you’ll be sad.”
Masera, afraid of her answer, unconsciously covered his ears, then slowly lowered them.
“Of course I missed him. I was bored to death.”
Masera, hearing Cynthia’s answer, turned his head back towards the window.
Cynthia was struggling to lift Eugene into her arms.
“Oh my, you’ve grown again? I can’t lift you anymore.”
“So don’t treat me like a baby! I’m all grown up!”
“Who was it who came looking for me because they were scared to sleep alone?”
He watched Cynthia kissing the child’s cheek and Eugene, who was embarrassed but happy.
Suddenly, memories that had been buried with his painful childhood resurfaced.
“Masera, look at that. It’s the warship your Father rides.”
It was a memory of holding his mother and father’s hands and looking at the huge ship floating on the sea. Even the fragrant and warm spring breeze of that time was vivid.
Like the flower petals fluttering in his memory, a snowflake flew in and landed on the back of his hand.
“The falling petals are as pretty as snow, aren’t they?”
Spring has come. It was as if he could hear his mother’s kind voice.
“Ah.”
Masera stared blankly at the petal.
It was because he had found a treasure-like memory in his heart that he had been forgetting all along.
For him, Cynthia was someone who brought back good memories.
